Bahrain : Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) karting teams swept all four winners’ trophies in a hugely exciting Bahrain 24-Hour Karting Championship 2022, held over the weekend at Bahrain International Karting Circuit (BIKC) in Sakhir.
Bapco Engineering clinched first place overall as well as the win in the race’s Pro class, while Bapco Sadeem captured the Nations category and Bapco Motorsport claimed the Corporate division.
A total of 14 teams featuring many of the Kingdom’s most talented karters of different ages and nationalities battled it out around BIKC’s 1.414 CIK-FIA track in the gruelling endurance event. It was a true test not only of their racing skills and teamwork, but also of their ability to adapt to the elements, varying track conditions and fatigue.
Bapco Motorsport kicked off the meeting by setting the fastest time in Qualifying Practice with a best lap of one minute 12.757 seconds.
Bapco BMP then secured the leading position on the start grid after finishing first in the Super Pole session with their quickest time of 1:14.457.
But in the race, the pole-sitter ran into some trouble although their teammates in the other Bapco squads were able to push ahead.
Bapco Engineering, featuring Faisal Alshafei, Osama Albuflasa, Talal Beshara and Yousif Khamiri were engaged in a tight finish for the overall victory against BirelArt Bahrain team, consisting of Lewis Smith, Jack Smith, Fahad Alkhaled, Fahad Almuqla and Rashid Almuammari.
At the chequered flag, they both completed a total of 1,103 laps, with Bapco Engineering only powering ahead by 2.889 seconds for the victory.
Bapco Sadeem, comprised of Ali Abdulla, Najashi Rashdan, Mohamed Jalal and Abdulrahman Waleed took the final overall podium spot in third after completing the race duration four laps behind.
Bapco Engineering added to their overall triumph by also taking the Pro class win. BirelArt Bahrain followed once again, while Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) Racing 3, made up of Fahad Aldoseri, Aisha Darwish, Mohammed Rohail, Hussain Atteya, Mahmood Alali and Mohammed Salem, were third, with 1,068 laps completed.
BIC 4, who had Shanon Dias, Royden Giles, Yousif Salem, Aysha Janahi, Ali Bucheeri and Haseeb Khan sharing the kart, rounded off the Pro category classification with 1,061 laps.
Bapco Sadeem had another reason to celebrate by taking first place in the Nations division, to add to their third-place finish overall. They had 1,099 laps—14 laps more than class runners-up MMC1, who featured Abdulla Albinali, Hamad Albalooshi, Ali Mohamed, Abdulla Yousif and Osama Ramadan.
BIC Racing 2, with Omar Qaed, Yusuf Qaed, Fahad Alammadi, Mohammed Isa, Salman Kanian and Khalid Alhubaishi in the kart, took third place, while Bapco BMP, represented by Abdulrahman Alawadhi, Saud Alshareedi, Saud Alsalem and Khalid Bubshait, came fourth.
MMC2, comprising Mohamed Shams, Muhannad Bahgat, Ali Husain, Abubakr Karamalla, Abdulaziz Shamsan, Jaffar Sakran, Abdulla Ali and Mohamed Buhasan, captured fifth place amongst the Nations contenders.
The Corporate class was clinched by Bapco Motorsport, consisting of Abdulla Althawadi, Essa Mahmood, Abdulaziz Albufalah and Khalifa Zayani, with 1,099 laps. Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) Speedsters finished as the runners-up, 12 laps behind, with Mohamed Jaffar Abdali, Ahmed Kooheji, Mahmood Al Saati, Yousif Alaskeri, Ammar Ali Al Ghawas and Hussain Habib sharing the driving duties.
BIC Racing 1 took third place with 1,076 laps. Their squad was composed of Jassim Marhoon, Sayed Sadiq, Zakariya Yahya, Ahmed Falamarzi, Nigel Dias and Sara Kanian, and their finish ensured that there were BIC teams in all three race categories.
Manama Drift, consisting of Erich Grawunder, Jeff Baker, Alec Cullen and Phil Oh were fourth with 1,070 laps, while completing the classification amongst the Corporate teams were BAS Wonder Women with 1,032 laps posted by Sujusha Bakaal, Alya Adel Abdulkarim, Fatima Mohamed Zainudeen, Christina Jerald and Alanoud Alalwi.
Following all the action, the podium placers were presented their respective trophies in an awarding ceremony attended by BIKC, BIC and Bahrain Motor Federation officials.
The Bahrain 24-Hour Karting Championship was the headlining event of Bahrain’s endurance karting season.
